Buddhism contains not only a consistent history, but also a somewhat consistent belief system that seems to me to be both a rational and acceptable way of looking at the world.
According to Oxtoby, within the Buddhist belief system there are three primary sects or "vehicles". These are the Theraveda, Mahayana, and Vajrayana (2002). Although these three paths are slightly different from one another, they all follow what Buddhists refer to as the Three Gems or the Three Refuges. The Three Gems are the Buddha, the dharma, and the samgha. The Buddha, refers to the buddha of the current time or turn of the wheel, who was Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as Sakyamuni. After living a privileged life he left home to become a student and achieved full enlightenment at the age of 35. From that time until he died, at around 80 years old, he taught others so that they also could strive for enlightenment.
The second gem, or refuge, the dharma, was Buddha's discourse on how best to achieve that enlightenment. As Oxtoby points out, Buddha's instructions on how to achieve enlightenment are referred to as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path (2002). The truths are simple: suffering is inevitable and no one escapes from it, suffering arises from a human's desire or craving, this suffering will cease as soon as craving or desire ceases, and the final truth is the explanation of the Eightfold Path. The eight parts of this final truth are right view (right or correct understanding of the Four Noble Truths), right thought (freeing the mind from desire, ill-will, and cruelty), right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation (Oxtoby, 2002). These do not follow one another, rather one must learn or achieve them in accord with one another. These comprise the steps, or dharma, which make up the second gem.
The third gem, is the samgha, or the community of ordained men. Accord...